Man designs, builds church out of Legos for annual display

SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan man designs and builds a church out of Legos and displays it his own house of worship each year as part of a Christmas season tradition.

John Kraemer makes one church per year out of Legos and puts it up at Christ the Good Shepherd in Saginaw, The Saginaw News reported (http://bit.ly/22kwxAX ). This year's creation, built from about 15,000 Lego bricks, is on display throughout the holiday season.

Kraemer said he builds for a number of reasons, including a connection to his faith. He calls the Lego churches a "snapshot of parish life."

"I've always had a very deep passion for my Catholic faith," Kraemer said. "For me, it's really the core of who I am."

In the 1990s, Kraemer started coming up with designs for Lego church buildings. His first display was a Mount Sinai Lutheran Church in Montrose. In 2003, he put one up at his own church, which then was known as St. Helen Catholic Church, and has done so since then.

Kraemer has a mild case of cerebral palsy that somewhat limits his mobility and has faced other health issues in recent years. He said the process of planning and building a Lego church each year is therapeutic.

"It allows me to overcome some of my own challenges. It allows me to do something I really love," he said.